Peanut digger



July 29 1924. l 1,502,795

` J. E. PARKER PEANUT BIGGER Filed June: 1. 1925 2 sneers-sheevzPatented .luly 29, 1924.

JAMES n. PARKER, or NORFOLK, vrac-INIA.

PEANUT Diesen. i

Application filed June 1, 1920. Serial No. 385,596.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES EDWARD PARK- nn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and a resident of Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in PeanutrDiggers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to peanut diggers, and a purpose 0f my. inventionis the provision of a peanut digger comprising cutting members operableto effect a cutting rof the vines within and above the soil and at apoint in advance of a conveyor, and a digging implement for removing andelevating the vines to the conveyor, such conveyor and implement beingadjustable to various positions to suit the particular character ofvines and ground over which the digger is travelling.

l will describe one form of peanut digger embodying my invention andwill then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation one form of peanut diggerembodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similiar to Figure 1 showing the opposite side of thedigger.

Figure 3 is a detail view showing in side elevation one of the steeringwheels of the digger having applied thereto one form of cutting memberembodying my invention and Figure l is a vertical sectional view ofFigure 6.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in each of theseveral views.

Referring specifically to the drawings and particularly to Figure l, Cdesignates the chassis of the digger which is supported at its rear endby driving wheels D mounted on the opposite ends of a substantially U-shaped aXle A', the intermediate portion of such aXle being secured tothe under side of the chassis in the manner shown. The forward end ofthe chassis C is supported upon a fifth wheel F, and the latter isconnected to a front axle A carrying steering wheels S thereon.

Referring now to Figures 1, 3 and Ll, I have here shown the steeringwheels S of the digger provided with cutting members H for effecting acutting of the peanut vines at points both above and below the soil,

and into proper lengths so that they can be removed by the implement Band readily elevated and conveyed to a desired point by the conveyor K.In the present instance, each cutting member H comprises a disc 34having its periphery bevelled to provide a continuous cutting edge 85.The cutting member is supported upon the kwheel for rotation therewithby means of bolts 36 which extend through suitable openings formed inthe disc and spokes of the wheel. Embracing the bolts at a point betweenthe disc andspokes are sleeves 87, such sleeves serving to maintain thedisc in spaced relation' to the wheel as will be understood. As shown inFigure 4E, the diameter of the disc 84 is such that the cutting edge 35is disposed within the circumference kof the felly of the wheel so thatwhen the implement is not in use and is traversing a roadway, the discwill not Contact with the roadway and thus maintains its sharpened edge.However, when the wheel is traversing a field, the soil of which isrelatively soft, it will sink into the same a distance suliicient toallow the cutting edge of the disc to penetrate the soil and to thuseect a cutting of the vines both above and beneath the soil. 1 Theoperation of the implement is as folows:

The digging implement having been properly adjusted, the vehicle isadvanced causing rotation of the discs 34. The discs 311 cooperate witheach other in effecting a cutting of the vines into lengths whichpermitV the digging implement to extricate and elevate them to the lowerend of the conveyor K. As the discs 84E are arranged in advance of thedigging implement, it will be clear that as the vehicle traverses a eldthe vines are first cut and subsequently engaged by the diggingimplement and thus introduced to the lower end of the conveyor.

That l claim is:

1. A peanut digger comprising a chassis, axles secured at the front andrear of the chassis, drive wheels mounted on the rear axle, spaced apartsteering wheels mounted on the front axle, cutting discs secured to oneside of the steering wheels and of less diameter than said wheels, saiddiscs operable to effect a cutting of the vines within and above thesoil, aconveyor at the rear of said discs, and a digging plowpointmounted to function between said discs and conveyor,

said digging point being adapted to penetrate the soil to eXtricate andelevate the vines. to said conveyor.

2. In a peanut digger including a chassis, steering Wheels and drivingWheels supporting the chassis at the front and rear respectively, discsxed to the steering Wheels, sai-d discs being of a diameter less thanthat of the steering Wheels and having their peripheries sharpened toprovide cutting edges, a

conveyor supported between the driving Wheels, and a digging implementbetween said conveyor and said discs.

3. The combination in a peanut digger, oit' a pair of spaced-.apartsteering Wheels, and a disk arranged parallel. to the side of each Wheeland secured in spaced relation thereto, said disk being of less diameterthan the Wheel and having its periphery sharpened to provide av cuttingedge.

4. A peanut digger comprising a chassis, front and rear axles secured tothe chassis, drive wheels mounted on the rear axle, spaced steeringWheels mounted on the front axle, a cutting' disk for each of thesteering Wheels and of a. less. diameter than said Wheels, means wherebysaid disks are spacedly mounted in respect to said Wheels,

a conveyor at the rear of said disks, and a. digging plow7 point mountedin advance of the conveyor and being adapted to penetrate the soil toextricate and elevate the vines to the conveyor.

5. In a peanut digger, the combination of a Wheel, a disk ery and beingof a diameter less thanthat of the wheel, and a plurality of elementssecured both to the disk and to parts of the Wheel to hold the disk inspaced relationship to the latter.

(i The combination in a. peanut digger.d of a Wheel, a circular elementhaving a peripheral cutting edge and being of a diameter less than thatof the Wheel, and a. plurality of spacers .for hold-ing the circularelement a predetermined distance from the side of the Wheel.

7. In a. pea-nut digger, a Wheel, a cut-ting member ot' a diameter lessthan that of the wheel1 a plurality of sleeves for spacing said memberfrom thewheel, and means passing through said member, sleeves andportions of the Wheel to secure all of the parts t0- gether.

JAMES E. PARKER.

having a sharpened periph-

